2 days agoMember-onlyLearning to Lead in Ballroom DanceI did something different in this past week’s ballroom lesson: I learned to lead! Traditionally, men lead and women follow in the ballroom dances. However, it’s very common outside of the U.S. to see female couples competing in ballroom, especially in younger or more beginner levels, simply because there aren’t…Ballroom Dance5 min read
Published in Songstories·Jul 11Member-onlyI Like to Move It, Move ItIf your head automatically bobbed a little when you read the title, then you’ll understand where I’m coming from in this story. My body looooves to move to music. It moves at the mere mention of a familiar catchy song like “I Like to Move It” by Reel 2 Real…Music Memoir5 min read
Jul 5Member-onlySolo Dance Practice Is More Fun with FriendsMy relationship with solo dance practice was born out of necessity. I needed a way to improve as a dancer that didn’t come with a financial cost. The Solo Practice Guide for Ballroom Dancing was born out of my need to improve as a dancer without a financial cost and…Dance4 min read
Published in Songstories·May 22Member-only‘Bitch’: Realizing I Don’t Have to Be Just One ThingI turned up the volume as I pulled into my high school’s parking lot. With Meredith Brooks singing “I’m a bitch, I’m a lover!” at the top of her lungs, I lifted my chin slightly and tried to appear as confident as I wanted people to believe I was…Music Memoir4 min read
May 8Member-onlyWhy I Dance with “Bad” DancersTwo guys were chatting after Zumba class about the blues dancing scene at a local bar. One was an experienced social dancer and the other unsure about where to even put his hands on a potential dance partner. The experienced one asked if I would help him demonstrate the basics…Dance5 min read
Apr 16Member-onlyEveryone’s Doing the Best They CanI belong to a fitness accountability group and earlier this week, I posed a question. I wanted to know how the others in the group managed their workouts when Life got really crazy, like it has been for me this month. They seemed to be so much better at doing…Personal Development4 min read
Apr 10Member-onlyLessons at Age 39I had a birthday a week and a half ago. Birthdays are a time to reflect on my life over the past year, and this particular birthday, I found myself reflecting on the past decade. …Life Lessons6 min read
Mar 6Member-onlyGoing with the Flow is ScaryWe plan, God laughs. -Yiddish proverb It’s March already, and while I’m not surprised that there is still a foot of snow on the ground here in Maine, I am surprised and disappointed that I’m not back to taking ballroom dance lessons. I shouldn’t be surprised because I was there…Dance5 min read
Feb 20Member-onlyIs the Medal Worth the Long-Term Damage?The conclusion of the women’s figure skating event at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing once again highlights the utter lack of care given to athletes’ physical and mental health for the sake of the win. Two out of three Russian skaters broke down sobbing as the results were…Athletes5 min read
Jan 19Member-onlyHard Work Does Not Require Personal SufferingSecond, fourth, plié, turn. Second, fourth, plié, turn. I repeated this sequence over and over while my ballet teacher chanted it over the music. Each time, I pointed my foot out to the side (second), moved it about a foot behind my other foot while maintaining turnout (fourth), bent both…Hustle Culture5 min read